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© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology i
Proceedings of the Applied Management Conference
Disclaimer: Waikato Institute of Technology and Editor cannot be held responsible for errors or any consequences
arising from the use of information contained in this proceedings journal; the views and opinions expressed do not
necessarily reflect those of Waikato Institute of Technology and Editor.
Copyright and Photocopying: Copyright © 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology. All rights reserved. No part of
this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission
in writing from the copyright holder.
Editor:
Adrian France, Waikato Institute of Technology
Editorial office:
Proceedings of the Applied Management Conference
Waikato Institute of Technology
Centre for Business, IT and Enterprise
Private Bag 3036
Waikato Mail Centre
Hamilton 3240
Email: [email protected]
Aims and Scope: Proceedings of the Applied Management Conference presents abstracts of the research papers
presented at the Applied Management Conference at Waikato Institute of Technology.
Topics include:
• Managerial Finance
• Accounting
• Management Communication
• Strategic Management
• Marketing Management
• Retail Management
• Operations Management
• Human Resource Management
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship
ISSN 2624-1315
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology ii
Proceedings of the Applied
Management Conference
December 2018 VOLUME 1 NO. 2
Contents
The extent to which businesses in New Zealand are willing to pay carbon tax and other
related mechanisms of carbon pricing. 1
Readability of PBE reporting 2
NZ charity: Building trust with donors through transparency. 3
Impact of new reporting requirements on local charity organisations in the Waikato 4
Job costing: An analysis of the construction industry 5
Retaining customer loyalty when moving to a new location: a case study on a small
restaurant 6
Issues for charities applying the new requirements for financial reporting 7
Examining the implications of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of
Terrorism Act 2009 on New Zealand accounting firms. 8
Strategic planning for small businesses 9
Creating better efficiency in Goods and Services Tax (GST) 10
Small business preference for software package 11
The importance of values and vision in a growing organisation 12
Developing a volunteer handbook template for an event 13
Effective procedures to attract and retain workers in tourism 14
Health cost inflation in New Zealand 15
Strategic Management Accounting 16
Corporate social responsibility: Exploring trends in social and
environmental disclosure 17
Simultaneous value creation: An exploration of corporate sponsorship 18
Identify successful marketing communication strategy apply for a small hair salon 19
An insight into the experience of Waikato charities and their transition to the new
charity reporting regime 20
Internal controls on charities in New Zealand: Challenges and solutions 21
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology iii
Investigating the factors that affect a company’s competitiveness 22
Volunteer management at international events 23
Investigating the relationship between brand image and profitability 24
A study on Strategies for Growth and Sustainability 25
The issue of fatigue amongst employees working in the horticulture industry 26
Marketing strategies for petrol stations 27
Corporate social responsibility: Managers perception of CSR 28
Feasibility study of introducing a laser printing service 29
Impact of board directors on financial performance 30
Identifying strategies for strengthening market position 31
Increasing customers 32
Designing the balanced scorecard to improve student satisfaction in educational
organisations 33
The impact of cloud accounting 34
Health and safety in an organisation 35
Marketing strategies a motel can use to compete 36
Motivation amongst employees 37
Improving inventory management systems 38
Fundraising 39
Marketing and branding strategies of the construction industry 40
Improving sales consistency 41
Enhancing the reach and impact of business awards 42
Operation efficiency based on quality and productivity 43
Financial technology in the automobile industry 44
Learning and development of staff in a small fast food restaurant 45
Increasing brand awareness with Facebook 46
Relationship between inventory management and demand forecast 47
Gaining a competitive advantage in the fast food industry 48
Better positioning through competitor analysis and enhancement of brand awareness on
website 49
Contrasting the accounting difficulties of small to medium entities (SMEs) with large
organisations 50
Facebook used as an active marketing channel to
expand customer base at a restaurant 51
Strategies for an elderly care business 52
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology iv
Operations efficiency of cleaning in a large corporate organisation 53
Daily operations management at a takeaway organisation 54
Effective fundraising strategy 55
Understanding customer satisfaction based on the way they evaluate service delivery56
Business and activities to contrast the low season 57
Effective website for educational institution 58
How a Hamilton fast food restaurant can increase their brand awareness 59
Investigating different strategies for increasing sales and customer base 60
Maintaining customer service in a fast food outlet 61
Is online training effective in retail business? 62
Strategic positioning of supermarket 63
Marketing strategies to attract new customers 64
The management of sponsorship in a non-profit organisation 65
Importance of production planning and control in a restaurant 66
Strategies that can lead to increase of contracts 67
A competitor analysis 68
Analysing drivers of customer satisfaction 69
Gaining a competitive advantage in hospitality 70
Improving routine operation management 71
Health and safety in hospitality 72
Marketing strategy for a charitable trust 73
Internal control system in small businesses 74
Strategies for growth and sustainability 75
Managing floor and carpet cleaning in hospitality 76
Identifying and controlling risk 77
Challenges of the multicultural workforce which effect business growth and service 78
Strategic leadership 79
The impacts of the new financial reporting regime on charities 80
Impact of corporate social responsibility disclosures on financial performance 81
Inventory management in retail 82
Risk identification of events 83
Strategies adopted to create relative advantage 84
Financial planning 85
Evaluating strategies to increase sales performance 86
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology v
Strategic planning for a SME 87
The challenge of sustainability in small event enterprises 88
Improving operations efficiency 89
Major factors responsible for occupancy 90
Trust between service provider and customer in online environments 91
Developing competitive advantage for a restaurant 92
Marketing development strategies to attract domestic customers 93
Strategic growth through inventory management in a small and medium sized
enterprise (SME) 94
Utilising LinkedIn as an effective marketing channel to engage with and attract potential
customers 95
Future behaviour given New Zealand’s smoke free future 96
Sales training 97
Waste management 98
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 1
The extent to which businesses in New Zealand are willing to pay carbon tax and other
related mechanisms of carbon pricing.
Adharsh Gangadharan
Bachelor of Applied Management: Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Ahmed Saleh
Global climate change is the most critical environmental and economic problem that must be
addressed. Failure to address the issue of climate change will result in catastrophic and irreversible
damage to natural resources. Issues around climate change have been created by problems caused
by industrial pollution and reckless deforestation for commercial gains. Therefore, corporations
and businesses should be held accountable for damage they cause. The release of greenhouse
gasses should be eliminated or reduced and one way to achieve this is by introducing carbon tax.
The aim of this research is to determine the awareness and acceptance of carbon tax and carbon
related pricing for businesses in New Zealand. This research included different businesses from
different sectors to obtain generalisable results. Quantitative data was gathered from 15 businesses
using a closed questionnaire. The data gathered by the survey were than analysed using a
percentage approach. The research found that the businesses were aware of carbon tax and its
importance. The majority of the businesses were prepared to incur extra carbon tax cost however,
preferring the upstream method of taxation as they will be taxed based on quantum of emission.
The literature and survey agree that revenue collected from carbon tax and related pricing should
be used to fund research to reduce carbon emission and present carbon levels to the desired levels
to protect the environment and ensure human existence.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 2
Readability of PBE reporting
Amber Short
Bachelor of Applied Management: Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Rudi Bosman
The standardisation of Public Benefit Entities reporting has developed since 1992. Beneficial PBE
reporting requires representations of position and performance, congruent with the Qualitative
Characteristics of the conceptual framework. Non-regulation, optional adoption and sector-neutral
standards led to issues of erroneous, complicated and misleading language in past reports. After
calls for change, sector specific regulations and a tier system was introduced to address negative
impacts on PBE reporting, and catering to different PBE types or users. This study aims to
investigate if current reporting is meeting expected outcomes of regulation, specifically: Has the
2015 adoption of sector-specific standards impacted the readability of New Zealand PBE's annual
reports? Data was collected by a convenience sample of PBE compliant annual reports and the
corresponding sector-neutral report. These reports were converted, cleaned and measured for
readability (by applying Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch Kincaid Grade Level and passive sentences
measures). The resulting data was analysed with a Paired t-Test for a significant difference. FRE
results indicated 93% of reports were tougher than ‘slightly difficult to read’. Most reports
indicated a difference of one point or more, 53% of reports improved, while, 33% of reports
declined after implementing the PBE regulations. This study concludes sector specific standards
have not resulted in a consistent, statistically significant, difference in PBE for any readability
measures studied. The use of jargon and the lack of specificity in readability measures are possible
limitations of this research. However, for PBE’s to deliver efficient annual reports for users, further
changes may be needed.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 3
NZ charity: Building trust with donors through transparency.
Ana Nginingini
Bachelor of Applied Management: Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Ahmed Saadeh
Transparency is not as simple as just making organisational information available, as
trustworthiness of charity practices would be evaluated by donors. This study explores the
importance of transparency in building trust of donors in a New Zealand context. This study used
a qualitative method in which data was collected primarily through a face to face interview with
five charity donors in the Waikato region. The discussions focused on identifying the expectations
of donors in regard to transparency, and how their assessments of transparency affect their
donation decisions. Data collected during the interview was analysed using a thematic analysis
approach. This study discovered that transparency is a trust-building tool based on honesty
relationships. In addition, this study revealed that the more transparent a charity is about their
weaknesses, the more trustworthy the charity is viewed to be by donors. However, even though
the level of influence of transparency is high, the nature of the service provided by the charity is
the key factor in finalising donor’s donation decisions. This study concluded that donors are more
interested in knowing that their money is making positive differences in the lives of the Waikato
community rather than how their donation was used. Therefore, this study recommends more
workshops on transparency to assist charities to provide quality reporting regarding outcome rather
than output. This study also suggests more training on how to prepare financial reports, especially
for charities with volunteer staff, as a basis to improve compliance and enhance greater
transparency.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 4
Impact of new reporting requirements on local charity organisations in the Waikato
Ashita Bhudia
Bachelor of Applied Management: Accounting
Academic Supervisor: John Gourdie
Before the new reporting requirements came into effect in April 2015, charity organisations had
no reporting requirements, and many charity organisations did not prepare financial statements.
The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of the new reporting requirements on charity
organisations. A qualitative research method in which semi-structured interviews of three charity
organisations were carried was used for this research. Each organisation interviewed falls under a
different tier according to the new reporting requirements. This will provide information on the
impact of new reporting requirements for charity organisations which fall under different tiers.
The results of the research are that the new reporting requirements have had some positive and
negative impacts. They encourage transparency, provide marketing opportunity, produce
difficulties in revenue recognition, and increase costs for charities. There is also a template issue.
The findings are compatible with those of the literature review, for instance, that the new reporting
requirements have encouraged transparency. Furthermore, charity organisations need more
guidance and training regarding the new reporting requirements so that charity organisations can
overcome the issues of revenue recognition and understanding the templates.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 5
Job costing: An analysis of the construction industry
Student name: Blake Bottomley
Bachelor of Applied Management
Academic Supervisor: Rudi Bosman
The construction industry in New Zealand is very large and shows no signs of slowing down in
the near future. It is one of the largest contributors for employment growth. However, some of the
largest construction companies are seeing huge losses and debts. This report sets out to find out
why this is happening and will do so by analysing job costing methods and investigating variances
of quoted and actual costs in the construction/painting industry. Many Potential Job Costing
methods have been identified, but the best-suited options were the profit point analysis and micro
costing methods. Another potential method to improve quoting would be to use a structured project
learning approach. However, the answer may not lie within job costing but with the fact that
material and labour prices are increasing yearly and will be different when jobs are quoted from
when they are carried out. A survey was sent via email to 85 construction businesses. 10 viable
responses were gathered back. A financial analysis was also carried out on 45 jobs gathered from
a painting business known to the researcher. The financial analysis found there was an average
variance of 5 %, with labour contributing 69% of this. When looking at jobs under $5000 it was
found the average variance was 19%, while jobs over $5000 averaged 1% variance. The survey
results found that average estimated variance for labour was 6% and materials were 1%. The
researcher recommends using a structured learning approach. It is essential that construction
businesses are aware of increasing material and labour costs. It is also evident that smaller jobs
saw larger variances, therefore smaller jobs should be quoted as accurately as larger jobs.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 6
Retaining customer loyalty when moving to a new location: A case study on a small
restaurant
Bradley Ling
Graduate Diploma Applied Management: Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Deniss Yeung
The restaurant was opened recently. Due to the reconstruction of the building, the owner is
considering moving the restaurant to a new location. The research aims to discuss how location
and other factors affect customer loyalty and how to retain customers when moving to a new
location. To analyse and explain the aims, the researcher conducted an interview with the owner
of the restaurant and used two questionnaires, one for the customers of the restaurant (30 sampling)
and another for potential restaurant goers (30 sampling). The research method used a combination
of quantitative and qualitative methods. The research is still under development and not yet
complete, therefore only part of results and recommendations are illustrated. The restaurant has a
relatively large group of loyal customers. Location plays only a small role in customer behaviour
for choosing a restaurant. Accessibility, surroundings and affordability need to be considered when
choosing location.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 7
Issues for charities applying the new requirements for financial reporting
Cherry Bernal
Bachelor of Applied Management (Accounting)
Academic Supervisor: Rudi Bosman
This research is to determine the issues that charities/non-profit organisations (charities/NPOs)
have encountered when applying the new requirements for financial reporting introduced in 2015.
Currently in New Zealand, there are 27,217 registered charities affected by these new
requirements. This primary, semi-structured research uses a quantitative method and a
convenience approach. Literature reviews were gathered and divided into seven themes, from
which the questionnaire survey questions were developed. Nine charities/NPOs in New Zealand
respondent to the questionnaire survey with results showing 45% of respondents were under Tier
4; 33% for Tier 3 and 22% for Tier 2. Results further revealed that 67% of the respondents find
the new requirements clear. The majority of respondents (56%) also indicated increased
accounting costs as a result of applying new requirements for financial reporting. Also, 66%
respondents indicated a need for staff training. Overall the new requirements for financial reporting
have a positive side as they ensure that financial reports are standardised, comparable, readable,
consistent, reliable, and transparent to users such as donors, benefactors, government agencies,
businesses, funders, and stakeholders. Thus, the financial reports help in the decision-making of
external users.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 8
Examining the implications of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of
Terrorism Act 2009 on New Zealand accounting firms
Jenna Evenbly
Bachelor of Applied Management
Academic Supervisor: Ahmed Saadeh
Money laundering is the act of introducing illicitly gained funds into the economy to assist in
concealing their origin. On October 1 2018, it became mandatory for most New Zealand
accounting firms to comply with the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of
Terrorism Act 2009. The purpose of this act is to help detect and deter money laundering within
New Zealand. The AML/CFT Act creates additional requirements for accounting firms and has
severe penalties for non-compliance. This led to the research question of ‘What are the
implications of the AML/CFT Act 2009 on New Zealand Accounting firms?’ For this research,
interviews were conducted with accounting firms to help identify the costs and implications
associated with the AML/CFT requirements. The results revealed that despite the October 1
deadline, accounting firms are still implementing programs. The new requirements were unclear
and underestimated by firms. Large money and time costs were reported by all the interview
participants and they all feel that the new requirements are excessive. As the AML/CFT Act is still
new, it would be beneficial to explore further research in the future that examines the actual impact
of maintaining the AML/CFT programs.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 9
Strategic planning for small businesses
Jiaxin Mai
Bachelor of Applied Management: Strategic Management
Academic Supervisor: Geoffrey Mather
Enterprise strategic planning plays an important role and value in the sustainable and healthy
development of enterprises, and it is a complex system engineering in the formulation and
implementation of enterprise strategic planning. Since this small business does not have a fully
mature strategic plan, it should be able to formulate a strategic plan more quickly by starting the
strategic planning process now, thereby enhancing its chances of long-term success in its current
Hamilton CBD position. To collect this lack of information, the researchers used a hybrid approach
of interviewing business owners, employees, and customers. The data collected through interviews
and surveys will be integrated into elevator pitch, SWOT, target market, industry analysis,
competitive analysis and advantage, and marketing plan, which information should be included in
a strategic plan. The conclusions refer to the 13 important factors that must be included in a
strategic plan. Discussing what information has been collected, and what has not been collected,
will be recommended and analyzed to illustrate these parts.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 10
Creating greater efficiency in Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Kathy Figure
Bachelor of Applied Management: Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Reza Yaghoubi
This study aims to investigate how to create better efficiency in GST for a small painting business
in the Waikato by enlightening and exploring the context of GST in the economy. This study uses
secondary research in which the information is sourced from databases, using academic journals,
published articles and then further multiple search engines which include government websites for
discussion papers, legislation, and books. Re-occurring themes linking to the topic of creating
greater efficiency in GST were identified. These ften linked to the history and the future of GST.
The themes were analysed further, leading to the conclusion that particular factors affect poor
compliance and showing why compliance is important for GST registered businesses. The study
recommends that in order to create better efficiency in GST at a small painting business in the
Waikato, they should adopt the new government initiative that is aimed at reducing compliance
costs and simplifying the way information is submitted. This will help to incorporate efficiency in
GST into their administration, using their accounting software package. Further research into GST
is recommended to keep the business up to date with compliance.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 11
Small business preference for software package
Shuwen Li
Bachelor of Applied Management.
Academic Supervisor: Ahmed Saadeh
Until late 2016, the majority of small business uses QuickBooks and Excel to do their accounting
work. However, the functions of these accounting tools are insufficient, and also the demands of
companies are increasing. It has become inefficient and antiquated to use the software. A small
business looked for new accounting software, but found that choosing an accounting software
system is not straightforward, as every software package consists of different functions for users.
The aim of this research was to analyse small business’ perceptions and preferences for accounting
software systems in New Zealand. This is followed by an analysis of why users might want to
replace their previous accounting software systems. In addition, the requirements for selecting
accounting software were analysed. The main method used was qualitative research. Three people
were interviewed regarding their the reason for replacing their previous accounting software
system. The first intervieee had not changed their accounting software system previously, but their
reason for replacing their current accounting software system was that their previous accounting
software system lacked the functionality he wanted. The second interviewee said e she disliked
that the system frequently crashed and that it lacked the features she wanted. The reason why the
last interviewee changed her previous accounting software system was that MYOB system could
not improve her work efficiency.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 12
The importance of values and vision in a growing organisation
Loren Hickman-Mabin
Bachelor of Applied Management: Human Resources
Academic Supervisor: Jenni Murphy-Scanlon
The organisation came to me stating that they were having problems with employee retention and
quality control and they did not know what was causing it. They personally have strong visions
and values, but were not sure if their employees were on the same page as they were, from a SWAT
analysis. The values of an organisation are the behaviours that the employees of an organisation
demonstrate, or are expected to demonstrate. This consists of what are perceived to be good or bad
behaviours, or traits. Strong shared values lead to a strong culture and employee retention. Values
that aren’t shared are often frowned upon, and persons with different values can be looked down
on or discriminated against. The vision of an organisation is the goals that the organisation wishes
to achieve and which push the organisation forwards. This form’s vision is expansion and
becoming one of the best and most sought-after bakerys in New Zealand. Organisational growth
breeds change. Poor management of change leads to unhappy staff and staff who don’t understand
the reasons for things happening and don’t feel it is necessary. When an organisation grows,
management become more detached from day to day activities. The research aim was to find how
to make sure that an organisation hasstrong values and vision and how to maintain these throughout
the growth of the organisation. Finalized results are not yet available. Questionnaires will be given
to staff, interviews held with management, then observations held to assess staff.
Recommendations include that change management plans and training process and tracking
training be implemented.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 13
Developing a volunteer handbook template for an event
Monique Riddell
Bachelor of Applied Management: Event Management
Academic Supervisor: Denise Harnett
This event is a Christian music festival that takes place at Mystery Creek on Auckland Anniversary
weekend (January). It attracts 5000+ attendees and 500+ of those attendees are volunteers.
Volunteers play a large part of this event and getting information across clearly is very important.
The aim of this research looks at developing a volunteer handbook template for an event. Mixed
methods where used when collecting primary data interviews and questionnaires). For secondary
data the following themes were researched; volunteers/volunteer management, events/event
management, music festivals, human resource volunteer management and volunteer
handbooks/manuals. Tentative results have shown that while this event currently does have a
handbook it needs updating and altering. It is important for this event to have a very thorough
handbook as they don’t have a volunteer coordinator so the handbook is used to distribute most of
the knowledge. Tentative conclusions and recommendations: it was found in the research that that
a volunteer handbook is very important for any event and it is recommended that this event
implements an updated volunteer handbook for 2019 and undertakes an evaluation after the event
to see how it was received. It was also reiterated that a volunteer handbook can be in many forms
and parts. It is recommended for this event that the Handbook would be in two parts, part A being
the main general handbook and part B being the role specific handbook.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 14
Effective procedures to attract and retain workers in tourism
Nerina Luppers
Bachelor Applied Management: Human Resource Management
Academic Supervisor: Jenni Murphy-Scanlon
The tourism industry is one of the world’s largest service industries and a major player in the New
Zealand economy. Despite the growing economy that tourism generates globally and brings into
the country, there is a shortage of skilled personnel. The industry has difficulty attracting and
retaining qualified staff. This research will explore an overview of tourism recruitment and
effective procedures to attract and retain skilled seasonal workers in the organisation. The research
also explored the use of skilled seasonal workers in the tourism industry in New Zealand. In recent
years there is a common misconception that the tourism industry has under-skilled staff and a lack
of vision regarding career pathways. From that standpoint, the industry often offers poor financial
compensation. This research will explore an overview of tourism recruitment and effective
procedures to attract and retain skilled seasonal workers in the organisation. The study is based on
qualitative and quantitative analysis of six previous and current seasonal workers who have
provided qualitative feedback on the questionnaire which was emailed and handed out to the
participants. The positives and negatives and the reasons that these employees wanted to return or
not are investigated Results show that 60% of the participants will NOT return and at the same
time indicate that wages and manager leadership skills are the reason. This research also highlights
the importance of implementing retention strategies in the industry.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 15
Health Cost Inflation in New Zealand
Nikki Walker
Bachelor of Applied Management: Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Ahmed Saadeh
A large personal injury insurance organisation was originally created to help fund work place
injuries. Since then it has expanded into a “no fault non-optional personal injury protection
insurance” scheme. The scheme is available to all New Zealanders, and any visitors to New
Zealand. It is funded through the collection of several levies. The collection of these levies funds
treatment costs, wage compensation, injury prevention programmes and more. As a person who
works on the frontlines for this organisation, I field a lot of questions, in particular questions
surrounding surcharges, and costs customers have had to pay to their treatment providers. This
leads me to the research question, “Are customers of this organisation having a financial burden
placed on them when receiving treatment?” I decided to look into three specific services and the
contribution they receive from this organisation and charge to their customers, compared to the
prices they charge for private consultations. This research was done only in the Waikato, and
across three service types. It could be replicated with more services, and across other cities or
countries. The research currently indicates that GPs seem to be charging this organisation’s
customers a fair amount compared to private visits, whereas physiotherapists and radiologists are
not.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 16
Strategic management accounting
Ratu Gaunavou
Bachelor of Applied Management
Academic Supervisor: Ahmed Saadeh
The concept of strategic management accounting (SMA) was brought about by criticism by
stakeholders. The criticism came about as a result of management accounting r beingtoo internally
fixated. Being a relativity new concept, SMA lacks a conceptual framework. Literature describes
SMA as a general approach interfacing management accounting and marketing management.
Techniques considered under SMA include propositions of numerous management accounting
techniques having a ‘strategic’ focus. The most convincing development within SMA studies that
exemplifies the conceptualisation of SMA is attribute costing. This research aims to examine the
extent of strategic management accounting practices used by a family timber company in a
Waikato regional town. It also aims to examine the impact of these techniques on the performance
of the company. Three individuals who hold very important positions in the company were
interviewed and an analysis of company records (e.g. business plan) were conducted. Because of
the significant growth experienced by the company in the last 10 years and considering the
longevity of the company, it is expected that the company will be practicing some form of SMA.
Interim results suggest that a relatively fair amount of SMA has been practiced. Realising the
improvements made by the company through the uses of these practices may close the gap that
exists in the area of SMA.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 17
Corporate social responsibility: Exploring trends in social and environmental disclosure
Sarah Cable
Bachelor of Applied Management: Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Ahmed Saadeh
With the increasing pressure placed on organisations by their stakeholders to accept responsibility
for social and environmental impacts, corporate social reporting (CSR) is becoming increasingly
important. In aiming to explore trends in CSR, and motivations behind the issuing of CSR reports
by New Zealand companies, content analysis was first used to review annual reports and stand-
alone corporate social responsibility reports produced by the top ten organisations listed on the
New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZX). The content analysis aimed to identify any patterns and
trends in the volume of disclosure during the 2013 to 2017 period. Additionally, environmental
managers or staff concerned with CSR within organisations listed on the NZX were interviewed
with the purpose of finding out what motivates them to report on social and environmental matters
and how they decide the topics to report on. The study identified that there had been an increase
in the level of reporting during the 2013 – 2017 period. The findings of this study highlight that
CSR is motivated by key stakeholders, namely employees, institutional investors and shareholders.
Risk management and protection of the business brand and image are also key motivations for
CSR. Finally, organisations use a variety of methods to produce reports, including the use of
standards, guidelines and risk assessments to set some clear goals and targets to report on. The
researcher recommends that the study be carried out in the future with a wider scope to monitor
the state of CSR reporting in New Zealand.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 18
Simultaneous value creation: An exploration of corporate sponsorship
Siqi Wang
Bachelor of Applied Management: Event Management
Academic Supervisor: Persephone de Magdalene
An organisation often holds short-term events for students, to serve as a direct bridge between
students and the local environment. In order to maintain an affordable and high level of assistance
to Chinese students at a regional polytechnic, as a non-profit organisation, the Student Association
needs corporate sponsors to subsidise its events. This study aims to explore how simultaneous
value is created between the Student Association and its corporate event sponsors. To answer this
research question, qualitative research has been used in order to obtain in-depth data of personal
understanding, experiences and opinions. Two Student Association members and two corporate
sponsors were interviewed. This study found that the Student Association distinguishes different
levels of sponsorship according to the form of sponsorship, and then Student Association gives
different value returns to different levels of sponsorship.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 19
Identify successful marketing communication strategies that apply to a small hair salon
Siu Lam
Bachelor of Applied Management: Sales and Marketing
Project supervisor: Deniss Yeung
A selected organisation provides hair dressing services and hair products to customers. The aim of
this report is to analyse how the small hair salon could improve their marketing communication
strategies in order to attract more customers and enhance the relationship between customers and
the organisation. The approach to collecting information was to use a questionnaire with 50
participants, to gather primary information and to conduct a secondary research study. The result
of this research was to decide that the role of a successful marketing communication strategy is to
attract the customer to consume. In order to make the marketing communication strategy
successful, it needs to choose a suitable channel that enables it to connect with the customer. New
media is an effective channel that can promote the business to the customer and interact with them.
New media is also suitable for a small business to use. A recommendation for the organisation is
they create their own website page, Facebook page, YouTube video and WeChat group to promote
themselves and interact with customers. Those channels are popular in New Zealand, with a high
number of active users. Most the organisation customers like to use those channels too, so if the
organisation applies those channels to their marketing communication strategy they will be able to
attractcustomers and persuade them to consume more products.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 20
An insight into the experience of Waikato charities and their transition to the new charity
reporting regime
Te Aurere Edwards
Bachelor of Applied Management: Accounting
Academic Supervisor: John Gourdie
Prior to 2015, there were no requirements for charities in New Zealand to produce financial reports.
Prospects and evidence of poor accounting eventually led to vast criticism and debates as to the
lack of standards that demanded accountability and transparency. Because the sector’s primary
survival is dependent on public trust and confidence, proposed changes resulted in a statutory
reform in New Zealand and the introduction of new accounting and auditing standards. This study
aims to explore the impact that the new accounting and auditing standards have had on charities
in the Waikato region . This research intends to answer the following question: “How have the
new financial reporting standards impacted on charities in the Waikato region?” Three semi-
structured interviews were conducted on treasurers of three Waikato charities to answer this
question. These charities were from different tier levels; Tier 2, tier 3, and tier 4. Qualitative data
was collected from these interviews and analysed using a narrative approach. This study found
that all charities who participated were impacted to varying degrees. The charities who had
complied experienced to some degree an increase in accounting and/or auditing cost. In regards to
accountability and reporting, the study found that the knowledge and expertise of the preparer of
the financial reports is the main factor which contributes to the compliance of the charities and the
impact that they experience. The changes were found to be more onerous and demanding for the
smaller charities, especially those reliant on volunteers.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 21
Internal controls on charities in New Zealand: Challenges and solutions
Tingwen Deng
Bachelor of Applied Management: Accounting
Academic supervisor: Ahmed Saadeh
Charities and the non-for-profit sector play an important role in New Zealand’s economy.
However, several charity scandals in the last two decades have affected potential donors and their
trust in New Zealand’s charities. Consequently, charities need to adapt their ability to afford
structural and strict internal control environment by improving internal controls. This research
aims to evaluate internal controls in charities in New Zealand and explore the challenges in
implementing them. This research also recommends internal control strategies and solutions that
can be adapted to the particular needs and requirements of charities. This research uses qualitative
methods, in which data collected from previous BDO fraud surveys and in-depth interviews from
five charity staff members is used to analyse results. This research found that small charities in
New Zealand lack internal controls, which may cause fraud losses to their organisations. It also
found four challenges that charities face in implementing internal controls in New Zealand:
financial difficulties, technological difficulties, lack of staff, and specific accounting knowledge.
To solve these challenges, this research recommends some strategies and solutions that are
practical and efficient for charities to prevent fraud, such as control review, code of conduct, risk
assessment, and monitoring processes. The researcher recommends charities should choose the
control practice that is the best match to develop their organisation’s objectives.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 22
Investigating the factors that affect a company’s competitiveness
Xiaodong Tang
Bachelor of Applied Management: Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Dhammika Silva
With the increase of population in New Zealand, the number of houses is increasing. However, for
the a small flooring business, this trend has not increased its sales of carpet. The purpose of this
survey is to understand factors affecting the competitiveness of small carpet enterprises in New
Zealand, so as to help them improve their competitiveness. This research adopted a paper
questionnaire containing 15 closed questions concentrated on eight aspects of the carpet company:
price, quality, installation service, after sales service, product, promotion, brand, and language.
The participants were 60 existing or potential customers of the company, chosen by convenience
sampling. The results of this research, achieved by manual calculation, indicated the participants'
evaluation, preference and expectation of the related aspects of the company. Most of the
participants were satisfied with the carpet quality, installation service, and after sale service.
However, participants seem not satisfied or expected changes in terms of price, promotion and
language.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 23
Volunteer management at international events
Yanxuan Sha
Bachelor of Applied Management: Event Management
Academic Supervisor: Jan Robertson
Volunteer management at international events is an important topic to research. The Rugby World
Cup 2011 (RWC2011) has been chosen as a typical case to study. RWC 2011 was the biggest
sporting event in New Zealand until now, and held in different regions in New Zealand. This report
collects a large amount of information about volunteer management: volunteer recruitment,
volunteer training, volunteer motivation and satisfaction, and volunteer rRecognition, as well as
specific measures from these four aspects of RWC 2011. The purpose of this report is to investigate
what processes are put in place to manage volunteers at international events. The researcher
accomplished data information collection from interviews from volunteers and volunteer managers
from these two groups. Interview questions developed through focusing on those four aspects of
volunteer management. Two group interviewees provided two different levels of information, one
from volunteers, and another from management. Four different suggestions on different aspects
are made by theresearcher to help managers build better volunteer management at international
events.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 24
Investigating the relationship between brand image and profitability
Ziyue Li
Bachelor of Applied Management: Event Management
Academic Supervisor: Ogechi Okoro
The aim of the research is to investigate the relationship between brand image and profitability in
the case of a cosmetics and skincare store. This research focuses on what effect brand image can
have on a store’s economic income, from three aspects. A qualitative method was used to gain
information, A questionnaire is the most important research form in this research project. Brand
image is an external manifestation of enterprise spiritual culture; the intangible assets of an
enterprise, so the store should establish a high degree of brand image. Based on the research result,
brand image could be enhanced by strengthening brand management, optimising brand design and
attaching importance to product and service quality.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 25
A study on strategies for growth and sustainability
Abhilash Sebastian
Jishnu Raghu
Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management
Academic Supervisor: Dhammika Silva
This project studies the strategies for growth and diversification of an organisation to help them to
withstand competition in the market in which they operate. Areas of research developed are based
on various problems such as sales promotion, employee motivation, financial requirements and
competition within the market. The organisation lacks sales promotional activities due to lack of
investment in sales and marketing. We conducted a situational analysis. A qualitative method was
used for data collection with a set of interview questions. The basis of our study was that we found
that the organisation could improve their sales by concentrating on digital marketing as well as
direct marketing. The organisation could appoint more salespersons to conduct door-knocking in
different regions to develop their direct marketing activities. Providing training and motivation to
staff would help to improve their efficiency and skills. They could appoint a more experienced
employee to make an efficient team. We also found that entering new markets would help the
organisation to increase their profit and competitiveness in the market in which they operate. This
can be achieved by opening a new unit outside the Waikato region. The organisation can also
maximize the alliance with other organisations to provide complete home heating and insulation
solution for their customers.
.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 26
The issue of fatigue amongst employees working in the horticulture industry
Ajay Ajay
Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management
Academic Supervisor: Beverly Taylor
Fatigue is a major health and safety issue in the horticulture industry. The success of any kind of
organisation lies in the overall performance and productivity of employees. The better the physical
and mental condition of the employees, the better will be their involvement with the organisation
and the greater will be their productivity levels. However, it has been found that huge workload
and physical activities can influence the physical as well as the mental health of employees. Since
the horticulture industry involves a large amount of physical activity, it has been found that fatigue
is the major issue observed in employees. The aim of this research project was to study the issue
of fatigue in employees working in horticulture and the reasons behind this. To achieve this aim,
the research has used qualitative observation research methodology farm employees were closely
monitored and observed for any kind of behavioural variations. The overall observation of the
employees demonstrated that the main reasons behind occurrence of fatigue included extended
hours of work, working in different shifts, working in double shifts, or studying. To overcome
these issues, it is recommended that autonomy should be provided to the employees, the effective
work-life balance should be maintained, and there must be effective and two-way communication
between management and employees.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 27
Marketing strategies for petrol stations
Akhil Rawal
Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Brent Wood
This study is based on a big organisation which deals in fuel, gas bottles, lubricants, oils and other
general use products. The organisation has many stations spread throughout New Zealand.
Marketing strategy is a key element for the success of an organisation. Through their advertising
system execution firms utilize rare assets through showcasing capacities, keeping in mind the end
goal which is to achieve their set objectives and targets. The aim of this study is to learn how to
improve marketing strategies for a leading petrol station in New Zealand. It is also stated in the
study in which areas the organisation is behind others, and how can it improve. Both quantitative
and qualitative methods are used for the research. The manager of a leading petrol station was
interviewed with a series of questions. The study showed that the petrol station used coffee
machines that were basic and automatic. The petrol station does not have ultra premium fuel. It
provides forecourt service to every customer. It is recommended that the company should end its
present contract and do its own branding. The organisation should also offer barista style coffee,
provide forecourt service only to those who need it, and launch ultra premium fuel.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 28
Corporate social responsibility: Managers perception of CSR
Alka Alka
Graduate Diploma in Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Sharon Manasseh
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a self-regulating model of business which helps
organisations to be socially accountable. This research report on CSR is based on journals and
articles, and aimed at demonstrating the importance of CSR and investigating the perception of
managers towards the concept of CSR. The research study identifies the value which managers
and higher authorities have given to the maintenance of corporate social responsibility in an
organisation. The scope of the study places an emphasis on implementation technique and the way
in which CSR practices can be accommodated within the business model. This study defines
various levels of the CSR practice used by the managers of an organisation and shows how they
benefit from it. The levels of CSR practice help the managers to run business with societal, ethical
and economic responsibilities. It also explains the relationship between CSR practice and its
outcomes. The literature of CSR, which includes the policies of CSR and some of the internal and
external factors affecting CSR, is discussed. The study figures out the problems related to CSR
and defines its effectiveness on business. This research work clarifies the impact of CSR on
business policies and also the effectiveness of CSR on the social environment. The data collection
method used for this study was a questionnaire. The feedback of the questionnaires is still in
progress with the organisations and soon the results should be updated to the research study.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 29
Feasibility study of introducing a laser printing service
Amandeep Singh
Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management
Academic Supervisor: Dhammika Silva
Continuous evolvement is a key to maximizing profits for any business. Adding extra mileage to
business requires the introduction of new products and services into the market. Development of
services requires rigorous research which includes internal and external environment scanning and
requires a feasibility study. Thus, the purpose of this research report is to study the feasibility of
introducing a laser printing service. The feasibility report studies various factors, in particular the
internal factors that affects the functioning of the business, and the external factors, including
factors such as government policies, technological changes and social factors. The feasibility
report also attempts to study financial requirements and business requirements such as the
machinery requirements, technology and space. Based on the aim of the research, a desk research
was conducted to study the feasibility of introducing the service of laser printing. After a detailed
study it was found that there are four predominant reasons that back the success of introducing this
new service. The location, which plays an important role for any business, brand value, a while-
you-wait option , and the option of getting favourite designs printed on coffee mugs or T shirts.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 30
Impact of board directors on financial performance
Amandeep Aulakh
Graduate Diploma of Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Huthaifa Al Hazaima
This study examines the impact of boards of directors on corporate financial performance. The
aim of the research is to explore the relationship between the number of people on the board of
directors and corporate financial performance. . Five retailer companies operating in New Zealand
were selected. Regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between size of the board
(independent variable) and the average share price (dependent variable). A quantitative approach
was adopted for this study. Findings revealed that there is a positive association between the board
size and the corporate financial performance. The study suggests that small board size should be
encouraged, and the composition of independent directors should be sustained and improved upon
to enhance corporate financial performance. The board of directors plays a vital role influencing
the firm’s strategy and to authorise decision making.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 31
Identifying strategies for strengthening market position
Amanjeet Singh
Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management
Academic Supervisor: Jannat Maqbool
This research aims to comprehend how an organisation operates its business and to identify the
strategies adopted by it to strengthen its position in the market. The research starts with the
background of the restaurant, which is followed by an internal and external analysis of the business
to better understand its business environment. This includes SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis,
and an understanding of the competition. Then the scope of the research is mentioned, and further
explained in the literature review. The areas covered in the literature review include interior design,
competitive advantage, analysis of customer base and satisfaction, human resources and expansion
strategies. Then the methods used to conduct the research are discussed. Both quantitative and
qualitative methods were used for this research. Then the results obtained, and observations made
from conducting the interview and questionnaire are covered. A complete detained analysis of the
results is included in the discussion. The results section primarily highlights the most likable factor
about the restaurant and its position in the market. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations
made for the organisation to increase their sales are provided on the basis of the results obtained.
It has been observed that the organisation faces stiff competition and needs to take measures to
improve its market position.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 32
Increasing customers
Anmol Tirkey
Graduate Diploma of Strategic Management
Academic Supervisor: Geoffrey Mather
The purpose of this research is to increase customers. To investigate the reasons for the lack of
customers, surveys from consumers, interviews from an organisation owner and observation of
competitors to understand the situation were carried out. Customer expectation, the satisfaction of
customers, reputation, trust and keeping commitment are studied variables. How to increase
customer acquisition and getting clarity in work will be done by undertaking this research.
Successful ways of getting more customers include improving the reputation of the organisation,
improving the satisfaction of customers and building trust in consumers.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 33
Designing the balanced scorecard to improve student satisfaction in educational
organisations
Aparna Badwe
Graduate Diploma in Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Rudi Bosman
Student satisfaction is the top priority of educational institutions. The focus of this research is
designing and implementing a balanced scorecard for educational institutes. Kaplan and Norton
developed the concept of a balanced scorecard framework. This framework is broadly applied by
both profit and non-profit institutions. Higher educational organisations are under a continuous
burden to gather as many students as they can. In this competitive market, there are a lot of factors
which contribute to the selection of the institute where students want to study. This research aims
to analyse the trends of students and factors which contribute to student selection of an institute.
This framework will be utilised to investigate student satisfaction which will contribute to strategic
planning and improving performance. The method used in this research was interviews with pupils,
which were used to measure their satisfaction, views, and opinions. There is an overall good level
of student satisfaction. There are some areas which need attention and suggestions from students
can help improve performance. Results derived can also be used for future strategic planning and
help in management decisions, and further modification of the frameworks will definitively
contribute to a high level of performance and better student satisfaction.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 34
The impact of cloud accounting
Bhaviya Kukreja
Graduate Diploma of Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Rudi Bosman
The accounting industry has experienced a substantial transformation from manual bookkeeping
of ledgers and trial balances to advanced accounting software. Many accounting firms, though, use
accounting software with standalone packages which do not support the web. As a result,
accounting firms demanded integrated software which could manage overall business management
system. Accounting firms rely on software advancements in technology and specialised accounting
software that can help financial activities like accounts, administrative tasks, payroll, tax and sales
systems with fewer complexities. Real time information gave rise to the demand for accounting
services which have higher accessibility of cloud-based software applications. The adoption of
cloud accounting applications for accounting firms at accelerating speed leads to the question of
considering the impact of cloud accounting software which has effects on the operational expenses
of accounting firms. This research examines what encourages small accounting firms to grasp
cloud accounting. The qualitative method of collecting data of small accounting firms was done
through the distribution of questionnaires that use cloud accounting software. Findings from this
research were used to understand the impact of employee training and IT costs which firms face
by implementing cloud based accounting. The firms in this research have majorly agreed that they
experienced overall increase in their operational costs. As a result, organisational efficiency was
also increased. The recommendations provided by the researchers point to a similar study to find
out the impact of profitability on firms from implementing cloud software and suggest to firms
how to use cloud software to expand their client base.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 35
Health and safety in an organisation
Chirag Sharma
Graduate Diploma of Human Resource Management
Academic Supervisor: Brent Wood
Health and Safety of employees are of utmost importance for the performance of both the
employees and the organisation. The main aim of this research project is to study the health and
safety issues existing within an organisation. Qualitative observation methodology was adopted
for gathering relevant and appropriate information. Under this method, self-knowledge was
implemented and observation of the workplace conducted to identify different issues that can
influence the health and safety of workers and the consumers which the organisation serves.
Failure to wear personal protective equipment like gloves, shoes, cap, eyeglasses; failure to follow
hygiene practices, for instance, leaving the sauce bottle open, are observed to be different issues.
Based on these results, it is recommended that the organisation develops a sound health and safety
policy, provides proper training to the staff, implements health-related work policies, monitors the
practices adopted by the employees, and provides personal protective equipment to employees.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 36
Marketing strategies a motel can use to compete
Daniel Peter
Graduate Diploma of Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Brent Wood
The aim in this study is to find out what marketing strategies can be used to compete in the motel
industry. Interviews were conducted with the manager of a motel. Data was also collected from
five other hotels and motels through online booking channels such as Booking.com, Expedia and
Agoda. The results show that different strategies are used, such as changing prices daily, use of
golf packages for branding, linking with local restaurants. Recommendations for the motel are that
they increase customer satisfaction, reviews online content, and use social media as a powerful
tool to link with the customer. The introduction of a mobile app for better and easy service for
guests is a recommendation.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 37
Motivation amongst employees
Deepak Sharma
Graduate Diploma of Human Resource Management
Academic Supervisor: Jenni Murphy-Scanlon
Farm jobs are more labour intensive and prone to adverse events due to changing weather
conditions, which make it a physically challenging job. Intensive physical activities, long working
hours, changing shift schedules, and working in adverse conditions are some of the factors that
influence workers not only physically but also mentally, which in return leads to low levels of
motivation in them. The main purpose of this research project is to evaluate the issue of lack of
motivation amongst employees working on a farm. For attainment of this purpose, this research
has used qualitative observation method in which all the employees have been closely observed to
analyse the changes in their overall performance level and motivation to perform work under
different circumstances. The overall analysis of the observed data demonstrated that the main
reasons for lack of motivation observed amongst the employees consist of lack of management
support, no rewards or recognition, working in different shifts, and lack of flexibility in working
hours.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 38
Improving inventory management systems
Dipesh Gautam
Graduate Diploma of Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Huthaifa Al Hazaima
Inventory management is an important part of operations management of any organisation.
Maintaining a balanced condition in the inventory operations, maintaining the efficiency of all
systems as well as minimizing all losses, is a difficult process. The organisation involved in this
research deals in retail convenience of dairy products and it is unable to produce detailed reports
regarding economic conditions of the market due to its outdated accounting systems. The aim of
the research is to study the issues of improper and outdated inventory record systems, accounting
systems and inventory tracking systems in order to develop solutions to upgrade them. The
research will also help to upgrade the weak cost saving system of the company along with solving
the problem of time delays due to the location of its warehouses. Theory of just-in-time inventory
theory, economic order theory, and economic production theory have been applied in this study.
The major objective for application of these theories is to stabilise inventory management system
along with the systems regarding cost analysis. Participants were specifically chosen for data
collection method and the process was carried out ethically. The results exclusively pointed out
the requirement of new technologies to digitalize the system and upgrade the current cost analysis
system. Therefore, the research concluded that with incorporation of skilled staff and high-tech
systems to manage organisational resources, the organisation can achieve a better inventory
management system and minimise excessive expense.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 39
Fundraising
Fangping Deng
Graduate Diploma of Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Deniss Yeung
This report is based on a real fundraising project which is organised by three New Zealanders to
raise one million dollars funding for a new building, more beds and facilities, for a nonprofit
organisation. The team plans to get donations from famous and huge charitable organisations
around the world. This research tries to figure out the characteristics of donors who are willing to
sponsor an overseas organisation, and to find out what motivates them to react. A literature review
is undertaken, followed by research results and analysis. The research shows the philanthropy
group work at the preparation stage, and gives the marketers some new ideas to encourage
individual people and big companies to give gifts.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 40
Marketing and branding strategies of the construction industry
Farhia Afsana
Graduate Diploma of Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Brent Wood
Nowadays the construction business is one of the most developed businesses in New Zealand,
while competition has increased in the same field. As a result, it has become essential to have good
strategies which can help one company to be different from other companies. Among different
strategies, marketing and branding strategies are most significant for the success of any business.
This project has the aim of finding different marketing and branding strategies that are used by the
construction company and showing different steps, which can be helpful for making it more unique
and to attract more customers. Qualitative research method has been applied in which primary and
secondary research has been conducted. In primary research, an interview has been carried out
with one participant and in secondary research, various web searches have been done to find out
the importance of social media as a marketing strategy. How customer service, website, brand
awareness can be helpful for branding strategies has been discussed. As a result, it was concluded
that social media can be the most helpful way of advertising and increasing the number of
customers. Again, for making a successful brand, customer service is very significant and website,
logo, etc., as well play the same role. After analyzing the results of primary and secondary research,
various recommendations have been given such as increasing website visitors, upgrading the
website, increasing the use of social media and having a budget for both strategies.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 41
Improving sales consistency
Fibin Basil
Graduate Diploma of Retail Management
Academic Supervisor: Daniel Hopper
This research is done in order to find a feasible solution to improve sales consistency at a luxury
goods store which has fluctuating demand throughout the year. This research is applicable to
various stores. Mixed method research has been used in the form of surveys with a sample size of
80, and staff interviews with the assistant manager of the store. On the preliminary research it is
clear that people choose to buy jewellery on special occasions and depending on discounts. The
sale of jewellery is largely related to the mindset of people towards use of jewellery. A promotion
strategy with related steps is to be implemented.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 42
Enhancing the reach and impact of business awards
Francisca De Brito
Graduate Diploma in Event Management
Academic Supervisor: Persephone De Magdalene
This research project focuses on a business award event. A potentially wasted opportunity occurs
from not receiving feedback from those attending the business award event. The aim of this
research is to explore opportunities for improvements to the management and applicant processes
for entrants. This research project uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative research
methods to collect data and provide ideas and recommendations in support of the established
research aim. First, quantitative data provide a macro view of the awards website and its applicants.
These data were analysed and provide categories and applications, users by status, and registers to
establish the topics to collect data from online surveys answered by participants in the awards, to
measure attitudes, behaviours and other variables of their entry. Secondly, qualitative data was
collected from the online surveys, which also included a free text box in answer questions in order
to gather information about their perspective of the business awards. The research is not yet
completed as responses are still being gathered. Preliminaries results from the awards website
show entrants at the awards are currently active members. The organisation should encourage and
use more resources to make the awards more visible to non-members.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 43
Operation efficiency based on quality and productivity
Gargy Solanki
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Production Management
Academic Supervisor: Clark Luo
This research project is purely focused on the operation efficiency-based productivity of a famous
fast food company of New Zealand which faces lot of difficulties in its business for its lack of
efficiency in consistent product quality. The aim of this study is to measure and understand the
operational efficiency. For conduction of this research, the researcher has focused on consistent
quality and productivity. For the research work the researcher has chosen the qualitative research
(interview) method; for this, three employees, the operational manager and the marketing manager
of the company were selected. Some discussions were also made for improvement of business.
This study can also help to analyze various models such as the Just in time model, lean
manufacturing model applications which leads to improvements in productivity as well as in
operation efficiency. The importance and challenges of operational efficiency are also discussed
for better understanding of operational efficiency. The qualitative primary method was chosen by
the researcher to collect proper information from the sources. The research outcome was overall
satisfactory. The Lean Manufacturing model is used to minimize waste and optimize resources.
Additionally, manpower presence is also satisfied. Looking onwards, the researcher has made the
recommendation that they implement some approaches including the information retrieval model
and use the two bin system model for providing top notch service in the current competitive
business environment. The study makes various suggestions for management including strategies
to gain more operational efficiency.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 44
Financial technology in the automobile industry
Gokul Kumar
Graduate Diploma in Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Jannat Maqbool
This research targets financial technology in the automobile industry. It is a prediction technology
to be used in future for money transferring techniques. The aim of the research is to notify “how
the blockchain is planned to make the transactions secure and reduce the transactional costs.”
Observing the participants’ opinions, the research will summarise their effectiveness based on
current financial methods. To change this lack of information, the researcher proposes to conduct
a case study on a small business. Using a mixture of interviews and participant observation, the
researcher intends to ascertain whether the most effective implementation methodology was used
to implement block chain technology into the small automobile business. To clarify further,
investigation into why it was done this particular way and the ramifications of that choice will be
conducted. The results from the interviews will be analysed in correlation with planning and
preparation, implementation and integration of the new system, training, customer expectations
and changes in management. The objective of the research is to analysis the current strategy used
by the automobile dealers in New Zealand for their business and the procedures they use for online
transactions. Introducing blockchain technology in the automobile industry will help the business
to be more efficient and effective and it will lead to centralization of car dealers and customers in
New Zealand under one head.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 45
Learning and development of staff in a small fast food restaurant
Gurjit Kaur
Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management
Academic Supervisor: Beverly Taylor
The research of this small food business reveals how quality customer service can be improved by
introducing various learning and development methods for their employees. The aim of the
research is to identify suitable and applicable learning opportunities which will help employees to
improve their skills, knowledge, and capabilities in effective customer service, safe food handling
skills and health and safety training. Qualitative method is used in the research in which the data
is collected by using the observations. In observations, primary data is collected by the experiential
research at the workplace and secondary data is collected by benchmarking different methods of
training and development of same size or type of businesses accessible from online resources.
Secondary data in the literature review explain the importance, need, and benefits of training and
development programmes for fast food employees. The key results reveal that various factors
noticed in the research are helpful in clearly defining the quality of customer service to the staff.
It can be analysed from the results how important it is to provide learning and development
opportunities in terms of quality customer service as well as to comply with the law and legislation
to maintain food safety standards in the restaurant. The research recommends that online training,
on the job training, job rotation and mentoring programmes all contribute to enhancing customer
service skills. It makes the staff more productive and committed to the organisation to pass better
quality service to the customers.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 46
Increasing brand awareness with Facebook
Han Bao
Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing
Supervisor: Deniss Yeung
Social media has been used in many companies in recent years, because it is an effective method
of interacting with customers. Facebook, as a social media platform, is quite popular in New
Zealand. This report has investigated the value of using Facebook in small business and analysed
whether Facebook can help businesses increase brand awareness and maintain closed relationships
with customers. It has used a quantitative method of research, and questionnaires were handed out
randomly to 32 Asian customers. The results have shown that few customers use the social media
of this small business. Moreover, some customers believed Facebook is necessary, but some do
not think so. Those who thought Facebook is necessary, were hoping that the menu and
promotional activities would be put on a Facebook page. Finally, this report has also provided
some recommendations for this small business, future researchers and other small businesses
regarding the use of social media. This small business should put more emphasis on establishing
and developing social media to meet customers’ demands. Future researchers could focus on trying
to create a Facebook page in practise and how social media could bring more convenience for
customers.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 47
Relationship between inventory management and demand forecast
Harman Toor
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Production Management
Academic Supervisor: Clark Luo
The study aims to achieve balance between inventory management and demand forecast to regulate
operations effectively and efficiently at a franchise of retail grocery store. The study uses the
qualitative research to obtain better results through interviews from resources to analyse the
research properly. The main agenda of this research is to control inventory satisfactorily and
recommend policies and plans to overcome problems and errors. The study found that there is lack
of system running for proper management of inventory and demand forecasting. Lack of these
systems affect the business badly by lowering sales revenue and reducing franchise goodwill. The
study recommends that there should be an effective model and systems introduced in the
operations to curb problems like being out of stock and holding excessive stock, which lead to
more cost to the business. Best models for this store could be the just-in-time and the moving-
average model. Introducing the systems could help the business to run effectively, but follow-up
is the significant factor in applying new systems in any organisation. Developed processes and
criteria should be used in implementing these models. Regular checking should be done to see the
working of systems.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 48
Gaining a competitive advantage in the fast food industry
Harmanjit Kaur
Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management
Academic Supervisor: Adrian France
A small business provides food delivery of pizzas in a highly competitive market. The aim of this
investigation is to analyse the competitors in fast food businesses and identify the competitive
advantage. The external environment will be critically analysed through studying the competitive
situations in the market and what strategies are used by competitors at present in the fast food
industry. The second aspect relates to identifying how the organisation provides better products
and services to take full advantage of relevant skills and resources in the business. This aim can
be achieved by answering these questions, namely: what strategies can be used by the competitors
to attract more customers in the fast food industry, and how can this takeaway offer different
products and services that will help it to compete against its competitors and to achieve a strong
competitive advantage? A customer survey will be implemented to identify market requirements,
and interviews will be carried out with the organisation members to determine the business’
resources. The key findings are that the customers are satisfied with the services, prices, quality of
the products, but the organisation needs changes to compete in a highly competitive market. On
the basis of research, the recommendations for the business are to change the menu, especially by
providing vegetarian pizzas, improvement in food delivery timings, using pricing strategies to
attract more customers, and adding more combo deals.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 49
Better positioning through competitor analysis and enhancement of brand awareness on
website
Hoi Tso
Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Brent Wood
Brand positioning is not just a core marketing concept, it is a foundation for the sustainable
development of a business. However, some companies might either overlook the importance of
brand positioning or fail to get their positioning message across to their customers. Therefore, this
organisational research project aimed to help the organisation develop and communicate its brand
positioning. Based on the literature review, the researcher decided on a number of scopes, or
themes, to investigate, which were: brand personality, point of difference, customer benefits,
marketing communication, as well as competitors’ branding strategies. To answer all these sub-
problems, this research adopted a mixed method (qualitative and quantitative), in which a
competitor analysis of 11 subjects, staff interviews of four individuals, and a customer
questionnaire survey of nine participants, were carried out. Some significant results include: the
organisation has a sincerity brand personality; its points of difference are a variety of in-house
technical skills, good customer relationship, flexibility, and efficiency; its customer benefits are
increased online presence, enhanced competitiveness, and making clients’ life easier. Based on the
findings, this research proposed four recommendations for the organisation: creating a positioning
statement, bringing the brand promise to life, modifying the website, and displaying case studies.
For each recommendation there is a suggested implementation plan applying the insights gained
from the research result. Although there are some limitations, this research managed to provide a
clear direction and framework for the better positioning of the organisation.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 50
Contrasting the accounting difficulties of small to medium entities (SMEs) with large
organisations
Hyelim Lee
Graduate Diploma in Applied Management: Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Adrian France
This study aims to explore the current accounting difficulties of small to medium entities (SMEs)
by contrasting them with large corporations according to the changes in financial standards with
the introduction of the tier system in New Zealand. Also, the development of GAAP and IFRS
adoptions relating to SMEs were examined from previous literature for a better understanding of
the financial reporting system in New Zealand. This research used a qualitative approach in order
to collect data, primarily through interviews, for an in-depth knowledge and experience from
accountants in the field. Data was based on a convenience approach and analysed to produce results
and recommendations. The study found that accountants in SMEs feel that updated financial
requirements are more simplified than before, and more user friendly compared with large entities.
However, it also provides insight into what skills and specific areas needs to be developed for
accountants’ future directions. The research recommendation is that in the future conducting a
wide range of interviews will be required to add different elements to this research and provide
more clarification for distinguishing SMEs.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 51
Facebook used as an active marketing channel to expand customer base at a restaurant
Junjie Zhang
Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Daniel Hopper
The selected restaurant provides Cantonese style Chinese food. However, there has been a
significant decrease in customers after opening day. The owner spent on newspaper promotion
before opening day. The reality is that only a few people came. Therefore, the owner is looking
for advice on the way of increasing his customer base and awareness. The project aims to
demonstrate the value of using Facebook as a marketing channel to help a new Chinese restaurant
promote itself to the public to increase profit and its customer base. The project gathered a total of
93 questionnaires and one interview by using mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative),
followed by a theoretical review to show the owner that Facebook is the most effective channel to
increase customer base and awareness. The results show that more than 95% of participants have
social media and almost 92% of them have Facebook. 80% of participants agree that the restaurant
should have a Facebook account so they can receive promotion and news. In conclusion, Facebook
is the most effective and efficient channel to help the business get more attention from the public
under the situation.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 52
Strategies for an elderly care business
Jayaraj Karichery
Graduate Diploma
Academic Supervisor: Reza Yaghoubi
The elderly population in New Zealand is growing much faster than any other group. The Ministry
of Social Development predicted that there will be an increase of 77% in the elderly population by
2036 to that of 2016. In addition to the population growth, Hamilton is also becoming a hub for
retirees. It is found that 1 in 7 people aged 80 years and older lives in a care home. The research
question is ‘What are the strategies required for a care business to become successful’. The
research method includes interview and observation. Staff have been interviewed, as well as older
people and the relatives of older people. From my research I have found that older people prefer
to live in calm, green and less noisy areas. Older people also prefer caring and loving staff. The
relatives prefer close proximity to the city and low cost. So, a recommendation for a new care
home to become success in Hamilton market it should be able to maintain well qualified and
trained staff, be located in a calm and green area not too far from city, and it should also be able
to provide quality service at a cheap rate.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 53
Operations efficiency of cleaning in a large corporate organisation
Jayeshkumar Dafda
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Production Management
Academic Supervisor: Sukh Deo
Cleanliness is an essential criterion in the workplace and the organisation that is the subject of this
research is a prominent cleanliness service provider globally. Major cities in New Zealand are
packed with many business enterprises and it is necessary to maintain a clean work environment
so their work can be efficient. The research is constructed based on the context of efficiency of
cleanliness towards operations of organisations. The aim of the research is to find solutions for
major organisational problems such as lack of collaborative work and lack of data efficiency,
which decrease the efficiency of organisations, along with answering questions based on the
organisation’s methods of achieving targeted efficiency. The research has been done using theories
of operational efficiency and constraints, with the help of a genuine relationship between
cleanliness and operational efficiency that has been identified. The research is backed up by data
collected from the manager of the organisation regarding the cleaning efficiency and management
process. Research results have provided detailed information about the working culture and
strategic maintenance of the cleaning organisation. Care has been taken to conduct the whole
research ethically. The research concluded that cleanliness has been considered as a major
requirement in organisational process and the current organisation is successfully providing it.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 54
Daily operations management at a takeaway organisation
Jaykumar Solanki
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Production Management
Academic Supervisor: Sukh Deo
The aim of this research project is to distinguish various aspects of the newly established start-up
of a takeaway shop and its various activities, in which we will look at the daily operation,
consistency in taste, supply chain and delivery related problems. The personality behind this
venture had worked with various franchises of the pizza industry. The vision behind the
establishment of the takeaway was to introduce the new taste of the pizza on the streets of
Hamilton. This franchise has 3 more outlets in Auckland. So, at the end of the study, the outcomes
will be helpful for all the outlets. We will look for things that the takeaway does well and do not
do well. A SWOT analysis was conducted, and a qualitative approach used to find solutions for
problems. Personal observation was also under consideration for the purpose of solutions. The
whole research gives a brief idea about problems and suitable solutions for the longer term. Giving
some level of responsibility to every employee will make a huge impact on the operations side of
the business. Business start-up research is not enough, and still it is under progress for some parts
like pizza delivery and consistent supply chain. Its wide spread is a subject for further research.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 55
Effective fundraising strategy
Jepil Son
Graduate Diploma of Applied Management: Sales & Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Deniss Yeung
The researched organisation is a large organisation consisting of 1.2 million members worldwide,
and this well-structured organisation will strengthen the project organiser’s activity. This research
aims to suggest the target audience and how to promote the project. Qualitative research was
performed in this study to make more suggestions or ideas through in-depth interviews about
fundraising than the researcher could expect. The result showed that Rotarians would be the best-
recommended target audience. Besides, a good story for donator’s involvement and frequent
communication would be necessary for the referral method. A trust or credibility might be another
essential element for not only existing donators but also new candidates. There were some
recommendations. The research found out commercial businesses need to participate in the project
for their profile in local society.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 56
Understanding customer satisfaction based on the way they evaluate service delivery
Jiqiu Li
Graduate Diploma of Applied Management: Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Jamal Abarashi
With the development of society, the service industry has become the pillar of the world economy.
People's demand for service products is getting higher and higher because people are becoming
increasing lazy. Through this research, an immigration organisation showed most customers are
not satisfied with the price of service, so the aim of the research is to understand customer
satisfaction through their interaction with the service provider. This paper used qualitative method
and unstructured interviews. Six interviewees obtained through email were used. The results
showed that most customers are satisfied with member engagement in service delivery and
credibility of the business, and that the organisation should improve staff response to customers’
questions. There are some recommendations. Firstly, that the company needs to have a strategy
for training staff to improve customer satisfaction. Secondly, the organisation needs to think about
how they can improve credibility because it is essential to customer satisfaction. Finally, the
company needs to improve communication quality to reduce customer waiting time by increasing
staff numbers for customer satisfaction.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 57
Business activities to use during the low season
Juan Basurto
Graduate Diploma in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Academic Supervisor: Ehsan Yaeghoobi
The objective of this work is to find alternative activities or businesses that contrast the low winter
season of an organisation. The research methods are mixed, using a quantitative method with a
survey of 50 people and a qualitative method with interviews of the owner and management of the
organisation. The results show that during the winter it is very difficult to attract people. The owner
of the organisation has tried for a long time to implement strategies, without success. Some
suggestions of activities include paying for any activity rather than accommodation. Activities
include pizza nights, quiz nights, music classes, yoga and astronomy.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 58
Effective website for educational institution
Keyu Qu
Graduate Diploma in Applied Management: Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Deniss Yeung
This paper examines the current status of a New Zealand educational institution’s website and
makes a comparison among 44 samples. Two main sections have been contained in this research,
secondary resource collection and observation. The aim of this research is to raise the awareness
of this organisation and to attract potential students from the Chinese market by improve the
organisation’s official website. This is desk research which has made use of qualitative methods.
The results of the secondary resource collection mainly illustrate the general concepts of website
design, the key factors of the education website, and Chinese web page preferences. The results
from observation of 44 samples have been divided into two aspects, functionality and content.
Most educational institution website pages are functional, while their online communication
channels are basically limited to social media links; from the content point of view, school websites
with Chinese versions generally have poor translations, and existing educational institution
website samples can provide the information that the viewer needs through different presentation
methods. These differences are explained in the discussion section. In conclusion, it suggested that
in the current stage, educational institution websites could gain development by diversifying their
communication channels and information presentation.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 59
How a Hamilton fast food restaurant can increase their brand awareness
Komal Kaur
Graduate Diploma in Retail Management
Academic Supervisor: Daniel Hopper
Brand awareness is one of the most important marketing concepts in present times for gaining
competitive advantage in an ever-increasing globalized market. For attracting consumers and
increasing their purchase intentions, brand awareness is important as it increases knowledge of
product offerings and other associated characteristics amongst consumers. The main intent of this
research project is to study different ways in which local pizza stores in New Zealand can increase
their brand awareness. For accomplishing this purpose, the research project will include a mixed
approach where both qualitative and quantitative research methods have been opted. The
qualitative method includes an in-depth interview with the manager of the fast food outlet, while
the quantitative method includes utilization of survey questionnaires for attaining required
information. As far as structure of the research project report is concerned, it will mainly include
background of the research, aim and scope of the research, literature review, research
methodology, and analysis of the attained data, collected from pie charts and bar graphs.
Recommendations include that local pizza stores should exploit social media channels for
increasing brand and product awareness.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 60
Investigating different strategies for increasing sales and customer base
Komalpreet Kaur
Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Ogechi Okoro
The study primarily discusses about the different strategies that the management of the company
can implement in order to boost their customer base and net sales. The main aim of the research
is to evaluate different strategies for increasing sales and customer base. A qualitative method was
taken for this research, and data was collected with the help of primary and secondary methods. In
the primary method, a semi-structured interview was conducted on the organisation’s premises
with the store manager and other staff members. The secondary data was collected from books and
the internet. The study has an emphasised focus on laying down several goals and objectives that
the study plans to achieve. In this study, the researcher has tried to formulate the latest data and
information about the company in order to provide the management with the latest insights about
customer preferences and techniques that can be used for improving their decision-making process.
The study has laid down processes and procedures that were followed in order to prepare the entire
study. The key findings of the research are to introduce the new product, give some rewards points
and add some more options for customers. The foremost recommendations for the organisation
will be to improve communication with their customers, and to use PayWave service and wi-fi
facility. Moreover, they should use social media and other platforms to advertise their products
and add more features and varieties to the existing product to attract the attention of customers.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 61
Maintaining customer service in a fast food outlet
Krishnanunni Vijayakrishnan
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Production Management
Academic Supervisor: Clark Luo
In a fast food outlet, a competitive field, customer service is a crucial factor. Customers are very
much concerned about customer service and the quality of the food they get. This research is based
on quality of service, inventory management, and employee training methods. Qualitative method
is used for data collection for this project since it is more communicative and reliable. Data is
collected from observations during work time. The store manager was interviewed for more
information about inventory management of the store and customer service. This research found
that not all the employees are trained for customer service. The inventory is done manually in the
store, which is a time-consuming method. Not keeping sufficient stock leads to a shortage of
toppings for pizza in the rush time if demand goes high, which may lead to customer complaints.
Results of this research show that the standard of customer service and quality of food can be
controlled and improved by managing the inventory, employee retention technique, and proper
employee training. The research recommends using employee retention techniques and software
methods for better inventory management. Keeping safe stocks as per the demand can reduce
customer complaints about the quality of food.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 62
Is online training effective in retail business?
Kumkum Singh
Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management
Academic Supervisor: Jenni Murphy-Scanlon
Learning is more effective when it is an active rather than a passive process. This research
investigates whether online training is effective in retail business. The major perspective is to
analyze the significance of online training, examine efficiency of online training to enhance the
quality of learning, and develop strategy to improve learning and training. In this research, the data
was collected by using secondary methods in which data is collected by someone other than the
user. The discussion is illustrated by secondary research data providing a comparison to the
organisation. The results from research show that eLearning provides flexible learning which allow
learners to up-skill more rapidly. It is efficient to remove geographical gaps and able to provide
education to all workplaces. It is concluded that the impact of online training in retail business
helps to improve the efficiency of both employer and business. It also deepens understanding and
promotes motivation and self-evaluation. Self-pacing in online training reduces stress and
increases satisfaction. Recommendations include using interactive video in order to enhance
memory and motivate. Usage of humour ensures engagement. Provision of feedback after the
module helps both learner and instructor to analyse progress.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 63
Strategic positioning of a supermarket
Lovepreet Kaur
Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management
Academic Supervisor: Adrian France
The purpose of this research is to identify the strategic positioning of a supermarket to remain
competitive in the market. Strategic positioning is an important consideration for every business.
Strategic positioning means a strategy of business by which it provides value to its employees,
customers or stakeholders. Strategic positioning helps to differentiate the business from others.
The business is operating in a highly competitive environment and product differentiation is hard
for business. This organisation is independently owned and divided into different departments such
as deli, bakery, florist, produce, grocery, seafood, and butchery. The research was conducted by
mixed methods. Interviews were conducted with the store manager and human resources manager
to gain information about resource capabilities, primary and support activities of the company.
Quantitative research was done by questionnaire to 50 customers to gather information about
customers’ views about the organisation. 27 customers preferred the supermarket on the basis of
service quality. However, five customers preferred it due to price, 10 due to convenience, and 12
due to products. Out of stock products, customer service, price, and unclear labels were reasons
for the dissatisfaction of 20, 12, 15, and 3 customers. Focusing on SWOT analysis, the research
concludes that the organisation is competing on the basis of quality of product and service at
premium prices. On the other hand, the organisation has to focus on supply chain and innovation.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 64
Marketing strategies to attract new customers
Manish Nain
Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Beverly Taylor
The aim of the study is to investigate the most effective ways that social media marketing can be
applied to ensure customer loyalty management in the hotel industry, as well as features, benefits,
and methods of these strategies. The aim is to create appropriate guidelines for the case company
to build social bonds with customers that will positively impact on maintaining communication
and retention. The data for this study were collected from several sources, such as articles, books,
journals and semi-structured interviews. The customer retention process is examined based on
workplace experience. The qualitative research method was selected for acquiring in depth data
from the manager, who has long experience of the company, for the formulation of
recommendations. The results of the study revealed the significance of social media marketing in
hotel management in kiwi society. A comparison of earlier and more recent studies on customer
retention helped in the investigation of effective strategic approaches that successfully work
nowadays. Together with the analysis of the organisations that played the role of examples in the
author’s case study, a set of general guidelines were elaborated for restaurants that disclose some
hidden opportunities for social media sites for an improved application of customer retention
techniques.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 65
The management of sponsorship in a non-profit organisation
Maria Alonso
Graduate Diploma in Event Management
Academic Supervisor: Denise Harnett
This research project is focused on providing an exploration of a non-profit organisation
recognised all over the world. The investigation is focused on understanding the sponsorship
management processes used by the organisation. The method chosen for this research was
qualitative data. Two interviews were conducted to obtain information from the main source.
Interviews were chosen because they allow investigating issues in an in-depth way. Moreover,
they allow more detailed questions to be asked and incomplete answers or ambiguities can be
clarified and interviewees are not influenced by others in the group. Limitations and findings are
discussed, along with recommendations for future research. The results conclude with
recommendations.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 66
Importance of production planning and control in a restaurant
Maria Innocent
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Production Management
Academic Supervisor: Sukh Deo
The main aim of the research project is to study the importance of production planning and control
in a fast food restaurant. Production planning and control improves the flow of the entire
production process in an organisation. The objective of the research is to oversee all the process
of the production and check that the quality of the product is well maintained. It also ensures that
all inventory levels are well maintained and there is no over stocking or understocking. The method
used to do this research is qualitative. Data is collected by having informal discussions with the
franchise owner. There are some recommendations. Sometimes the workplace is very busy so at
that staff have little time. The place to dine in is very small.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 67
Strategies that can lead to increase of contracts
Milan Savla
Graduate Diploma Operations and Production Management
Academic Supervisor: Denise Harnett
The research aim is to identify strategies to increase the number of acquisition customers by using
quantitative research methods and observations. Three theories were used, of customer loyalty,
acquisition, and retention. The method included 100 door-to-door surveys with questions of
duration, pricing, comfort, providers, and change options. The results show that a majority of those
surveyed are concerned about saving money on power bills.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 68
A competitor analysis
Mohan Lal
Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management
Academic Supervisor: Priscilla Davis-Ngatai
This study develops a new marketing strategy to combat the action of the threats associated with
the market and making the business diversified within the market. The main aim of the research is
enhancing profit by reducing competition of a liquor store. The Porter five forces model suggests
looking beyond the competitors of the market and learning about their impact. This can be used as
a tool for performing analysis of the external as well as the internal environment of the liquor store,
which is small retail outlet. This creates firm impact on the overall performance of the activity of
the organisation. In the research both quantitative and qualitative approaches are used. The liquor
store can enhance their market share by way of diversification of their operation in less competitive
markets in New Zealand. It is also concluded that the analysis of suppliers must be performed by
the organisation in order to find the best supplier for their required products, at reliable and
affordable prices. The buyers or customers create an important part of the business of a liquor
store. This study makes an effort to develop a new and effective marketing strategy to combat the
action of several threats associated with the market and diversifying the business within the market.
This strategy would also help the brand with new store openings.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 69
Analysing drivers of customer satisfaction
Mukesh Chand
Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Ogechi Okoro
This study focuses on the customer satisfaction drivers of a retail store. The study has analysed
several factors regarding customer satisfaction that includes proper pricing strategy, setting of
product displays, discount strategy and customer friendly behaviour. The existing strategies of the
company have been evaluated to see whether these are adequate to make the company successful
in providing customer satisfaction. The qualitative primary research method was applied to gather
information and analysis carried out to derive the consistency of the company in terms of customer
satisfaction and customer retention. Some recommendations have been prepared regarding
promotion, pricing, increment in product range to make the company successful in the fiercely
competitive market. This study will help the company management to identify weak areas where
they need to make improvements by implementing alternative strategies.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 70
Gaining a competitive advantage in hospitality
Navjit Kaur
Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management
Academic Supervisor: Adrian France
To expand a business and gain competitive advantage, it is necessary for every organisation to
implement new strategies that help the company to grow and survive for a long period. The number
of restaurants and other food outlets are increasing. This will directly influence the growth of
individual businesses. The selected organisation offer dine-in, takeaway, and catering services to
the community. The purpose of this research is to identify current strategies of competitors and to
examine potential capabilities and resources of the organisation to gain strong competitive
advantage in the market. To complete this study, mixed methods have been used to gain deeper
understanding of the community. The results show that more than 80% of customers are satisfied
with the quality of food and become regular users of services by the business. In the qualitative
research, the manager and staff provided information about their capabilities and resources that
are different from those of their competitors. To conclude, the restaurant should use more pricing
strategies and combo deals to attract more customers. They could also use more sources to
communicate with the community to attract new customers and promote a loyalty programme to
gain competitive advantage.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 71
Improving routine operation management
Neel Joshi
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Production Management
Academic Supervisor: Sukh Deo
The focus of the research project is to investigate the daily operation management in an
organisation and give suggestions to improve their business. This research project is to help the
organisation improve their daily operations which will tend to improve the overall business. A
SWOT analysis was conducted to identify errors and poor performance areas for operations. The
3c’s theory was utilised to enhance the results and research. That theory includes competitors,
customers and climate, because if someone wants to improve their business then they must
compete with their competitors and gather knowledge of their customers. To complete this
research, I will go through the personal observation and some informal discussion with the co-
workers and managers. The qualitative research method has been selected. To conclude, the
business can improve by cultivating work efficiency and maximum utilisation of equipment.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 72
Health and safety in hospitality
Nirjala Khadka
Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management
Academic Supervisor: Jenni Murphy-Scanlon
Health and safety involves rules and regulations at the workplace. It is important at workplaces to
protect employers and employees from accidents and injuries. The aim of this research project is
to identify health and safety issues at motels, identify possible causes of those problems, provide
some potential solutions to solve those problems, and suggest ways to develop a safe work
environment. Observation was used as a primary research method. Results show that staff are not
following the health and safety rules properly and managers do not inspect or observe properly.
Common hazards in motels are slips, trips and falls, forceful exertions, and musculoskeletal
disorders. Lack of health and safety education and training prior to commencement of work,
carelessness, ignorance, lack of inspections, are some of the reasons for workplace accidents. Both
managers and workers are responsible for keeping the workplace safe and healthy.
Recommendations include frequent and timely inspections at the workplace, verbal warnings to
workers, a health and safety meeting prior to starting work, and meeting to remind them every day,
as well as motivating and rewarding employees to encourage them to develop a safe working
culture.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 73
Marketing strategy for a charitable trust
Nitesh Jyoti
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Production Management
Academic Supervisor: Jan Robertson
This research topic is to examine a charitable trust. The motive of this research is to not only
evaluate the current or conventional ways of doing marketing for a charitable trust but to find out
the best possible marketing strategy to boost the audience in charitable events. This research
utilised interviews, which gained valuable results and some eye opening facts. It was found that
most of the trusts do not attempt social media marketing. On the contrary, most of them prefer to
use print media including some expensive media resources which results in demotivating people
from attending the charitable events. The best recommendation is to control costs by opting to use
social media marketing instead of print media and television media. Not only that, they should
give equal preference to the stakeholder as their opinion can build a good social image of the trust
with positive word of mouth. To conclude, the organisation also needs people to join the trust and
to promote the events. They should use established marketing ways to get more people to attend
and to get more and more people to join hands for a good cause.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 74
Internal control system in small businesses
Parminder Gill
Graduate Diploma in Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Huthaifa Al Hazaima
The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of the financial part of the internal
control system in an organisation. This research is conducted to examine the effectiveness of the
financial system. This study adopted qualitative methods by using semi-structured interviews. The
primary data collection was by face-to-face interviews. The number of participants was five
people, including the manager, owner and two employees working in the organisation. Thematic
analysis was used for the primary textual data. The main findings revealed that inventory is not
classified according to its types, e.g. food and beverages. There is no separate account used for the
financial transaction of food from beverages. The inventory is consumed randomly. In the
restaurant no computer system is used, all the transactions are done manually. No allowances are
made for urgent cases. There is an inability to detect fraud due to inaccurate manual recording.
The organisation does not adopt any strategy of pricing, the process is made randomly. They do
not have any future plans. They only have records that relate to sales, which are calculated at the
end of each day. It is recommended that the inventory needs to be classified according to its types.
The consumption of inventory should be made systematically. A computer system should be used
to prevent errors and fraud. A skilled employee who can guide current employees regarding the
operations of financial system in the organisation is needed.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 75
Strategies for growth and sustainability
Prince Parmar
Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management
Academic Supervisor: Dhammika Silva
In order to develop the market strategy of a company it is essential to assess and analyse the
opinions of customers relating to service. This research focuses on the process by which a food
outlet will be able to increase its market competitiveness by which this company will be able to
enhance its profit margin. In this research, quantitative and qualitative research methods are used.
Analysis of customers has been considered in this study for analysing drawbacks related to the
operation of this company. This food outlet has seriously experienced a declining profit margin in
recent times due to their unprofessional approach regarding engagement of knowledgeable and
competent professionals. The main dispute in this context may be identified in their operation
throughout inventory management, which is responsible for some quality issues. Moreover,
degradation in terms of the quality of their food items is responsible for degradation in the level of
customer satisfaction they have experienced recently. In order to mitigate these risks, which may
be responsible for showing a declination in their profit margin, they must be taken seriously by
management. Several recommendations are proposed that, in turn, may revive their position within
the concurrent marketplace.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 76
Managing floor and carpet cleaning in hospitality
Pulkit Jhunjhunwala
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Production Management
Academic Supervisor: Sukh Deo
For hospitality, it is essential to attract customers through excellent service and optimum
cleanliness. This research work aims to manage floor and carpet cleaning issues. The six sigma
model is used as a way of increasing the operational efficiency of floor cleaning. The researcher
decided to use positivist philosophy to draw out the ghost cause. PESTLE and SWOT analysis
were chosen as the most suitable methods for external and internal analysis respectively. The
primary focus is on qualitative data collection that was conducted with three cleaners, one laundry
head, and one manager of the motel. The research outcome shows that the employees of the
company are satisfied with the management. Also, there is no doubt that the organisation is giving
proper importance to the cleaning operation. Besides that, there is a huge requirement for new
technology implementation, like a modern vacuum cleaner and employee training. An
implementation plan is summarises what will be helpful to eradicate current prevalent issues.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 77
Identifying and controlling risk
Ragapriya Raveendren
Graduate Diploma in Event Management
Academic Supervisor: Persephone De Magdalene
This research aims to identify the risk and control the risk in an event. The importance of this
research is to find risk in the event in three phases – before, during, and after the event, and to
minimise the risk in all phases. The research scope meets the aim by analysing and exploring event
health and safety, identifying the risk, and controlling the risk. This research uses the secondary
data collection method. The models and frameworks that are used in this research are Goldblatt
event model, Gemba Kaizen model, five stage model, Allen model, health and safety in the
workplace framework and event management body of knowledge framework. Analysis will
indicate the best model, and that will be used in the implementation plan and in the
recommendation. In conclusion, the research implications will be used on further events which
carry similar risk and to avoid the risk pre, during and after the event.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 78
Challenges of the multicultural workforce which effect business growth and service
Rajnish Kaur
Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Jamal Abarashi
This research is based on the multicultural workforce of a local cleaning organisation. The main
question of the research is what are the challenges faced by this multicultural organisation for
making good relationships between employer and employee? The aim of the research is based on
the challenges and effects of multicultural organisations on the growth of business and quality of
services. The research methodology used is qualitative and the data collection method was
interviews. Results of the research are based on thematic analysis methods and direct toward
communication barriers, teamwork, cultural values or thinking of diverse employees. The
multicultural workforce helps in the growth of the business and improves the service quality of the
business.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 79
Strategic leadership
Renuka Renuka
Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management
Academic Supervisor: Dhammika Silva
The research aim is to evaluate the importance of strategic leadership. The reason behind this aim
is that it is very important to the selected organisation. The research followed a qualitative
methodology. The manager of the restaurant was interviewed to gain primary data. The interview
questions were related to the research scope, to find out information in areas such as: the difference
between leadership and strategic leadership; the importance of strategic leadership in small
business; how strategic leaders motivate their staff; and what strategic leaders do to achieve goals
they set for their business. To conclude the research, strategic leadership is important for
sustainable development and to embrace change effectively. Strategic leadership is all about
collaboration and it focuses on future growth not just current opportunities. There are two main
benefits of the strategic leadership, such as financial benefit and non-financial benefit. So, in order
to inform the manager about strategic leadership, certain recommendation strategies have been
identified in order to grow. Ultimately, the manager needs to understand motivational practices in
order to motivate staff, with reward programmes and staff development, as well as taking practical
steps while addressing the issues of organisational change.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 80
The impacts of the new financial reporting regime on charities
Rong Li
Graduate Diploma in Applied Management: Accounting
Academic Supervisor: John Gourdie
Prior to 2015, there were no mandatory reporting requirements for charities in New Zealand and
many criticisms existed of the old practices. Therefore, new reporting requirements were issued to
improve transparency, accountability and comparability on charities in 2013 and the effective date
was set to be April 1st, 2015. This research aims to investigate the impact of the new financial
reporting regime on charities after three years of implementation. To achieve the objective,
qualitative methods were applied in this research and the data was collected through three semi-
structured interviews which were conducted with accounting staff from three different registered
charities. The results showed that some charities approved of the new regime, as it improved
transparency, accountability and governance to them, but some of them thought it had brought
more inconveniences. It also revealed that some charities’ internal accounting staff still do not
entirely understand the new standards, so it is suggested that the government may consider
providing more professional training to them, especially for small charities. However, all three
charities involved in the research agreed that after three years of implementation, they felt more
comfortable about the new regulations.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 81
Impact of corporate social responsibility disclosures on financial performance
Rudro Alam & Zheqi Zhang
Graduate Diploma in Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Huthaifa Al Hazaima
The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR)
disclosure on the financial performance of industrial companies operating in Australia. The study
adopts a quantitative methodological approach. Using a statistical analysis technique, the study
makes use of regression analysis to explore the relation between the independent variable (number
of CSR achievements) and the dependent variable (average share price). The number of CSR
achievements was extracted from annual reports using content analysis. The average share price
was taken from the annual reports. The total sample is 10 industrial companies listed in Australian
Stock Exchange (ASX), and the sample comprises 50 annual reports. The result of the analysis
shows that overall there is positive relationship between CSR disclosure and the financial
performance of listed Australian companies operating in the industrial sector of the economy. It is
recommended that these companies pay more attention to their CSR disclosure, and view it to
achieve better financial performance.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 82
Inventory management in retail
Sabina Amgai
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Production Management
Academic Supervisor: Sukh Deo
The research aim is to find out customer peak times in relation to stock shortage, to minimise stock
-out at customer peak times and to study the procedures/processes involved in obtaining the supply
of raw materials. Qualitative method is used get information through informal discussion among
the staff. To have a better supply chain, every business wants to have an advanced raw material.
The management of raw materials involves the activities like acquiring, purchasing, refining,
developing and delivering the right amount at the right time. If the raw material waves, then the
business should change according to it. Fluctuation in raw materials affect performance that means
customer satisfaction. A stockout situation is a waste of time, money and energy, which is one of
the major problems in retail industries. Shortage of stock can cause delay and financial burdens.
Efficient and effective stock management can provide tracking for stock labels to minimize
problems. A true stock management system is beneficial to their company, enablinggreater profit.
Normally planning and scheduling is done before the stock get out, lack of planning and inspection
of materials leads to delay of delivery.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 83
Risk identification of events
Saiyam Agrawal
Graduate Diploma in Event Management
Academic Supervisor: Jan Robertson
The three-factors of risk identification, risk control, and health and safety play a significant role in
every event in three different areas (pre, during and post event). This research examines the
importance of three factors at an organisation. This research focuses on the methods used by the
organisation to analyse and control risk by observing health and safety aspects in India. The
techniques applied for this research are the primary research method and qualitative method. The
study was conducted through an interview. One employee from the organisation was interviewed.
The results show that the organisation uses different types of models such as the Goldblatt Event
Management Process, Heron's model (Feedback using DESC model), Dewey's model (problem-
solving method process) and Kotter's 8 step change model, to analyse the risk. In addition to this,
the organisation also uses an applied implementation approach method to identify and control the
risk. The research recommends the organisation to run a trial event before executing the function
to determine the risk, and that they allocate a dedicated team to cover the health and safety aspect.
The research concludes that an organisation manages the responsibility by using 3P's (Policy,
Process and Procedure) method.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 84
Strategies adopted to create relative advantage
Sandeep Mann
Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management
Academic Supervisor: Reza Yaghoubi
The aim of this research is to understand the strategies being currently adopted and those which
can be adopted to increase operating efficiency in an organisation. The research includes the
background and SWOT analysis of the organisation to better understand the business environment.
The scope of the research signifies the areas that have been investigated in the research to answer
the question asked in the aim. These areas include relative advantage, customer analysis and
management of human resources. These areas are explained in detail in the literature review which
gives useful insight into the business strategies of the organisation. After the literature review,
information regarding the method adopted to conduct the research and why it is adopted is
discussed. A results section shows all the information obtained and graphs prepared from
conducting the surveys and interviews. These are further analysed in detail in the discussion that
follows.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 85
Financial planning
Sandeep Mann
Graduate Diploma in Accounting
Academic Supervisor: Huthaifa Al Hazaima
This research study is based on a small outlet. The company has many outlets all over New Zealand
and expanded business to Australia through an online website. Financial planning has been proved
to be one of the important factors for any organisation. A firm with a good or viable financial plan
grows at a very fast pace and minimises its losses to some extent. The aim of this study is to
evaluate the financial planning part of the internal control system of the organisation. It helps to
understand the way organisation works and to determine the shortfalls of its system. The research
focused on challenges and difficulties faced by vaping industries and suggested solutions to
improve their financial planning. This research is qualitative in nature. Data collection was made
through semi-structured interviews. The assistant manager of the company was interviewed using
a series of questions. It was found that the company has some major problems in the area of finance
as well as with its inventory control system. It was found that the company had no proper inventory
system and was not able to generate targeted sales. It is recommended that the organisation should
work upon lowering the prices of products and focus on different strategies of marketing. The
organisation also should follow an established inventory system (LIFO, FIFO) in order to avoid
wastage and random transactions.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 86
Evaluating strategies to increase sales performance
Sarita Thapa
Graduate Diploma in Applied Management: Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Ogechi Okoro
The aim of this research is to examine different strategies that are used within an organisation to
increase sales performance. For this research, qualitative method was used to collect the data and
a semi-structured interview was designed to collect participant perception of the strategies. The
result shows 4ps of marketing mix of product, price, place, promotion is applied by the
organisation to improve sales. To increase sales the promotion of business is needed to get more
customers, which is lacking, and the organisation needs to provide quality service at a reasonable
price. The recommendation is for the organisation to use the latest promotion strategies such as
active social media networking, change the decoration of stores, and add varieties of product.
Payment options should be flexible, such as payWave, credit cards.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 87
Strategic planning for a SME
Siddharth Bhandari & Susmita Thapa
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Production Management
Academic Supervisor: Adrian France
The purpose of this research is to find competitive advantages for an organisation and prepare a
long-term strategic planning for the SME. In a New Zealand context, small business enterprises
play vital roles in business and the economic sector. However, most small business do not have
specific competitive advantage and long-term strategies to compete in the market. Both qualitative
and quantitative approaches have been used as mixed method research. Interviews and surveys
have been done. Using those methods, researchers are intended to use the most effective
implementation methodology to find out the best solution to the problem and cause of a SME.
Location and customer satisfaction have been identified as the prime factors for the firm to run the
business successfully. The business has been operating smoothly without using any further
strategies to compete in the market. Recommendations involve pricing, advertising and stock
management.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 88
The challenge of sustainability in small event enterprises
Veronica Decker
Graduate Diploma in Event Management
Academic Supervisor: Jan Robertson
The impact of human activities is increasingly affecting today’s lifestyle and endangering the
capacity of future generations to access natural resources. The need for sustainable practices in
business has risen and is becoming a popular trend in the event field. However, the manner in
which enterprises around the world embrace sustainability depends on several cultural, economic
and political factors. Chile is a developing country that is shifting towards sustainability, but still
faces many challenges. This study focuses on two Chilean small event enterprises and aims to
investigate and compare their main limitations, mindsets and business models. It analyses their
point of view on the future of sustainability in Chile. The method used for the research was a semi-
structured interview directed to the managers of these enterprises, designed to gather quantitative
information about their perception and business culture. The results were analysed by theme,
identifying two areas of conflict. Firstly, a lack of public awareness and environmental education.
Secondly, the shortage of governmental auditing tools that are necessary to ensure
that environmental laws are met. Consequently, an implementation plan, with both short and long-
term goals, was proposed to the enterprises, based on the findings as well as on four model
theories. The tentative suggestions are tools for enhancing the culture of collaboration between
small enterprises, and to change the environmental awareness of their stakeholders. These
recommendations intend to help the small enterprises navigate through Chile’s cultural and
political challenges, and meet the country’s sustainability needs.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 89
Improving operations efficiency
Vijay Karunanithi
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Production Management
Academic Supervisor: Sukh Deo
The research aim was to improve operations efficiency in an organisation by implementing
effective time management strategies. The objectives were to identify time management problems,
find appropriate solutions relating to issues, design a method to implement the solutions, and
recommend the use of more sophisticated machinery and chemicals. Theoretical review used to
analyse problems. Qualitative method was used to collect data. Data was gathered through a semi-
structured interview with the company’s operations manager. The interview data showed solutions
and recommendations for problems facing the organisation, which include scheduled operations
time, following the Health and Safety Act 2015, ensuring customer satisfaction, conducting
training and inductions programmes for new employees, and recommending sophisticated
machinery and chemicals. The recommendations are to follow the operations schedule table and
to invest in the latest machinery for heavy-duty operations.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 90
Major factors responsible for occupancy
Vinay Kalra
Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Brent Wood
The aim of this research is to analyse demand and supply factors for pricing strategy, branding
strategies, and social media channels. Mixed methods are used for research purposes. Interviews
of the manager and other staff members are taken. Results of research show that competition
affects pricing in the motel industry, major events and festivals affect occupancy because of
demand and supply factors, corporate guests are major occupants on weekdays, and booking sites
are a main source of branding and social media in the motel industry. Recommendations for the
motel are that they should list and evaluate the prices of five of their closest competitors, and
forecast and make a booking plan according to major festivals and events in Hamilton. The
organisation should post themselves more aggressively on various booking sites and have lucrative
deals for corporate guests. The organisation should have special packages for WINZ guests and
should use SEO, Instagram and Pinterest as social media.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 91
Trust between service provider and customer in online environments
Xiaotian Wu
Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Jaml Abarashi
Nowadays online shopping is getting more and more popular in China. However, opportunities
and challenges are coexisting, and the growth of e-commerce is also inevitable. In e-commerce
online, trust has become a significant factor hindering development. A New Zealand
organisation faces a lot of competitors. In order to increase its market share and remain
competitive in the market, the organisation needs to have more loyal customers who repeatedly
purchase their products. Therefore, the organisation should find an appropriate way to form or
create trust with customers, to retain them. This research investigates how trust has been created
in an online environment between an organisation and its customers. A qualitative method was
adopted in this research and data collected using semi-structured interviews. The collected data
was analysed adopting a thematic analysis method. The research findings show that a two-way
communication system is the core factor in forming trust in the online environment. This research
suggests that the organisation should consider two-way communication seriously, and develop that
as a useful tool to build trust between them and customers; not just as a communication tool but
as a tool for trust formation.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 92
Developing competitive advantage for a restaurant
Xiaoxia Li
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Production Management
Academic Supervisor: Clark Luo
As public concerns about food safety and health increase, many people are raising their
expectations of food quality and safety. To help a restaurant establish competitive advantages with
food traceability control is the study purpose. The research problems include how the food
traceability system can improve food quality and safety; how it will bring competitive advantages
for the restaurant; and whether it is adaptable to the restaurant. The primary data was obtained by
interviewing key participants in the restaurant’s food supply chain. The data is reliable as
triangulation data shows similarities. The study finds that there is a willingness to build the food
traceability system regardless of resources deficiency, as participants all agree that a food
traceability system can help enhance food quality and safety. The innovation outcome shows a
benefit that food traceability system can bring is adequate updated information along the food
supply chain according to published food traceability case studies. Conclusions of the research are
that a food traceability system can help improve food quality and safety. Furthermore, it also
presents as a source of competitive advantage. A computerised traceability system can offer
maximum information along the supply chain, which can help the organisation respond faster to
changes, and make a strategic plan in supply, inventory and production with lower cost. Therefore,
the research recommends that the restaurant introduce a suitable computerised food traceability
system to obtain competitive advantages.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 93
Marketing development strategies to attract domestic customers
Yang He
Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Ehsan Yaeghoobi
The purpose of this research is to improve the sales of a product in the New Zealand domestic
market. The product is an eco-friendly way to deal with the problem of insects, including flies and
mosquitos. It is a traditional Chinese product which is well known by Chinese and widely accepted
in China and other counties like Australia and the United States of America. It has a potential
market in New Zealand. The method of this research is based on the Ansoff matrix, and use of
quantitative data. Sixty people participated in the questionnaire. The result of the survey shows
that most New Zealanders (78%) have trouble with insects and 91% of participants would like to
try an eco-friendlier way to deal with this problem rather than use insect spray. Most of the
participants care about the price and quality of the product. This research will provide valuable
information regarding the habit of domestic customers, recommendations for increasing sales, such
as adverts and focus on price and quality, and creating a CRM system.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 94
Strategic growth through inventory management in a small and medium-sized enterprise
(SME)
Yash Bhamblani
Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management
Academic Supervisor: Adrian France
This research is based on a small and medium-sized enterprise. The research focuses on growth of
business in terms of sales. Inventory of the store has been thoroughly analysed in order to
determine thigh profit items as well as finding products that can be removed to help reduce holding
cost in the store. In order to determine the contribution of products towards sales, ABC analysis
has been used. The method of collecting data is a combination of quantitative and qualitative in
the form of past year sales records of top 50 highest selling items and interviewing staff to
determine the time frame of purchasing. This helps in determining the holding time period as well
as the holding cost of products. LIFO and FIFO accounting methods have been used to determine
the movement of products so that best quality is served to customers. After analysing the sales
records and the interview of the manager, the research suggests that LIFO is the most effective
method for this store. Goods have been bifurcated to determine the priority of maintaining stock
of fast selling items to ensure high profitability by increasing sales.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 95
Utilising LinkedIn as an effective marketing channel to engage with and attract potential
customers
Yayan Xian
Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Ehsan Yaeghoobi
This study aims to find out how LinkedIn, as a chosen social media channel, can be utilised as an
effective marketing channel to engage with and attract potential customers. It explores a successful
local immigration consultancy which has done extremely well in the past 26 years, becoming one
of the largest and most successful consultancies in the country. However, according to the owner,
90% of the business is obtained from customers’ positive experience, and he believes that the firm
needs to be proactive in generating business instead of staying in the comfort zone. Along with the
rapid development of technologies and the wide use of social media, the purpose of utilising a
social media marketing channel is to catch up with technology and be more active in the industry.
This study carried out semi-structured interviews for both clients and employees, with selective
samples, and analysed the data with attention to their knowledge and perspectives of using
LinkedIn. Findings suggest that knowledge of LinkedIn has restrained user’s motivation of using
the platform at a certain level. Moreover, the context of a corporate LinkedIn page plays a
significant role in attracting potential customers. Therefore, a result of implementing LinkedIn
training to employees at the firm was identified. It is recommended that keeping well-managed
content from a professional perspective on the corporate page on LinkedIn constantly is an
effective way to engage with potential customers.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 96
Future behaviour given New Zealand’s smoke free future
Yiming Wang
Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Jamal Abarashi
The number of smokers in New Zealand has decreased, but there still are lots of people who smoke
daily. The question is, how current smokers are going to form their smoking behaviour to face a
smoke-free future. This research uses qualitative methods and interviews as a tool, because it needs
deeper information from smokers. As a result, eight smokers have been interviewed as participants,
and based on their answers, some interesting points were found. Smokers are not able to quit
smoking by themselves, and they are expecting more help from the government. They are open to
believable alternatives to smoking. Their recommendations for the government is they should be
more active and provide certified alternatives to smokers. The businesses which sell tobacco
products should follow the government to change their product mix. Over all, a new, certified
alternative for smokers is expected by government and the smokers.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 97
Sales training
Yogender Tanwar
Graduate Diploma in Sales and Marketing
Academic Supervisor: Beverly Taylor
This project involves discovering how sales training works and the impacts of sales training. The
goal is to show how sales training can help a business grow and to set benchmarks in the market.
After the negative impact in the performance of sales representatives of a national company in the
sales industry, their management made decisions about changes which need to be taken to get good
results from sales training. The method which has been used to complete this study is desktop
training, which includes self-experiences and secondary data. It is necessary to have appropriate
and successful training which delivers the best to the company. The main aim of this research is
to study and analyse the training procedure and processes in a business, since the training process
involves more activities that require mental strength with the willingness to perform well with
learning. The overall study of the process includes investigating lack of training, practice time and
overcoming doubts raised by the customer at the time of performing the job. Hence, it is
recommended that businesses should deliver new strategies and conduct more training sessions
and online modules, leading to the success and growth of employees.
© 2018 Waikato Institute of Technology 98
Waste management
Yogesh Kumar
Graduate Diploma in Operations and Management
Academic Supervisor: Jannat Maqbool
Modern society is generating a negative effect on the environment. In New Zealand, most SMEs
face a serious struggle with waste reduction, and currently New Zealand’s waste recycling and
reuse products are reduced because of political issues. This research clearly explains the cause and
effect of waste production in an organisation internally and externally, and how the organisation
is controlling it. This research result shows a major environmental change in New Zealand society.